Other candidates already pushing for 2014 date, 2015 worlds will head outside Europe
Following on from yesterday’s story that Norway is interested in hosting the world road race championships in 2014 or 2016, UCI President Pat McQuaid has indicated that it may be too late for the first of those dates.
“We awarded the championships for 2013 this season,” he told Procycling.no. “Over the next 12 months, we will work with candidates for 2014. There are several candidates who already work with the UCI in the preparation of applications.” Hooglede-Gits in Belgium, Chihuahua in Mexico and the Vendée region in France are amongst those already pushing hard for consideration.
McQuaid also said that with next year’s worlds due to be held in Copenhagen, that hosting another in Scandinavia in 2014 would be too soon.
2015 is out of the question as it is very likely that the worlds will head outside Europe. Indeed McQuaid has said that it is likely that in the future, more editions of the worlds will be run overseas.
“For our sport and for us in cycling we’re trying very hard to globalise the sport,” McQuaid previously explained during the recent UCI road world championships in Melbourne. “We are known as a Western European sport and we’re trying very hard to globalise the sport.”
“The images that have gone [out from Australia] and the memories that will go back with the Europeans to Europe means it’s much easier for us in the UCI to suggest going outside of Europe in the future for world championships.”
With that in mind, competition within Europe is likely to become more intense when fewer worlds are up for grabs. The Irishman doesn’t rule out going to Norway within the next six years, though.
“The first opportunity will be in 2016, and beyond,” he said to Procycling.no. “It is correct to say that since the World Cup will be held in Copenhagen next year, which is in Scandinavia, then the management committee will have to find out when it can come back here. But if Norway choose to apply, then it will be well received by the UCI.
“You held the Games in 1993 and since then, the sport has evolved tremendously. Cycling is amongst the most popular sports in Norway now, and there is no reason why it should change in the future.”
He pointed out that while current world champion Thor Hushovd may well have retired by 2016 (he will be 38 then), that others such as Edvald Boasson Hagen could still be at a high level in the sport.
The Team Sky rider is regarded as one of the most talented riders in the peloton and should, at 29 years of age, be at his athletic peak then.